NOAA station USC00425733 · Utah

Frost Dates for Moab, UT

NOAA weather station Moab (USC00425733), Utah · elevation 4053 ft (1235 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 28only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season192 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Moab, UTSpring: a frost after March 25 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 28 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 192 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Moab, UTSpring: a frost after March 25 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 28 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 192 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 23
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 28October 8
50% (typical)April 11October 23
90% (likely)March 25November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
192 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 24
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 15 (4 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 189 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Moab: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 28, 20% April 21, 30% April 18, 40% April 14, 50% April 11, 60% April 7, 70% April 3, 80% March 31, 90% March 25. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 19, 2023 April 21, 2024 May 2.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 28Apr 11Mar 252021: April 192023: April 212024: May 2Fall at Moab: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 8, 20% October 13, 30% October 17, 40% October 20, 50% October 23, 60% October 25, 70% October 28, 80% November 1, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 15, 2022 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 8Oct 23Nov 42021: October 152022: October 24
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 19October 15
2022incomplete recordOctober 24
2023April 21incomplete record
2024May 2incomplete record
2025incomplete recordno data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

April 28 is the cautious spring date for Moab; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later than that day, a gardener can plan to set out tender crops. By contrast, March 25 carries a 90 % chance of a light frost, making an earlier planting a gamble. The 50% date, April 11, marks the point where a light frost is equally likely to occur or not, giving a neutral reference for risk assessment.

In the fall, October 8 is the cautious date, offering a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, so tender crops can be harvested with minimal risk. October 23 serves as the 50% date for the season. The 50% hard-frost dates, March 24 and November 1, indicate the days when a 28 °F frost is as probable as not; a hard frost matters more than a light frost because the lower temperature can damage plant tissue that would survive a 32 °F event.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 28" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 8" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Moab, UTNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Canyonlands-The Neck, UT — 17 mi; 2 — Canyonlands-The Needles, UT — 30 mi; 3 — Hans Flat Ranger Station, UT — 41 mi; 4 — Grand Junction, CO — 66 mi; 5 — Blanding, UT — 67 mi.CO25 mi · 40 km1. Canyonlands-The Neck, UT — 17 mi12. Canyonlands-The Needles, UT — 30 mi23. Hans Flat Ranger Station, UT — 41 mi34. Grand Junction, CO — 66 mi45. Blanding, UT — 67 mi5
  1. Canyonlands-The Neck, UT 17 mi (27 km)
  2. Canyonlands-The Needles, UT 30 mi (49 km)
  3. Hans Flat Ranger Station, UT 41 mi (66 km)
  4. Grand Junction, CO 66 mi (107 km)
  5. Blanding, UT 67 mi (107 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 38.5744, -109.5458.